Scientists May Have Discovered A New Orca Species

WASHINGTON (AP) — For decades, there were tales from fishermen and tourists, even lots of photos, of a mysterious killer whale that just didn’t look like all the others, but scientists had never seen one.

Now they have.

An international team of researchers says they found a couple dozen of these distinctly different orcas roaming in the oceans off southern Chile in January. Scientists are waiting for DNA tests from a tissue sample but think it may be a distinct species.

Paul Tixier/CEBC CNRS/MNHN Paris via AP This undated photo provided by Paul Tixier in March 2019 shows a Type D killer whale. Scientists are waiting for test results from a tissue sample, which could give them the DNA evidence to prove the new type is a distinct species. (Paul Tixier/CEBC CNRS/MNHN Paris via AP)

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration felt confident enough to trumpet the discovery of the long rumored killer whale on Thursday. Some outside experts were more cautious, acknowledging the whales are different, but saying they’d wait for the test results to answer the species question.

“This is the most different looking killer whale I’ve ever seen,” said Robert Pitman, a NOAA marine ecologist in San Diego. He was part of the team that spotted the orcas off Cape Horn at the tip of South America.

How different? The whale’s signature large white eye patch is tiny on these new guys, barely noticeable. Their heads are a bit more rounded and less sleek than normal killer whales and their dorsal fins are narrower and pointed.

They likely mostly eat fish, not marine mammals like seals, as other killer whales do, Pitman said. Fishermen have complained about how good they are at poaching off fishing lines, snatching 200-pound fish away.

Pitman said they are so different they probably can’t breed with other killer whales and are likely a new species. At 20 to 25 feet long (6 to 7.5 meters), they are slightly smaller than most killer whales. In the Southern Hemisphere, killer whales are considered all one species, classified in types A through C. This one is called type D or subantarctic killer whales.

Michael McGowen, marine mammal curator at the Smithsonian, said calling it a new species without genetic data may be premature. Still, he said, “I think it’s pretty remarkable that there are still many things out there in the ocean like a huge killer whale that we don’t know about.”

Scientists have heard about these distinctive whales ever since a mass stranding in New Zealand in 1955. Scientists initially thought it could be one family of killer whales that had a specific mutation, but the January discovery and all the photos in between point to a different type, Pitman said.

He said they are hard to find because they live far south and away from shore, unlike most killer whales.

“The type D killer whale lives in the most inhospitable waters on the planet. It’s a good place to hide.”

Pitman got interested in this mysterious killer whale when he was shown a photograph in 2005. When he and others decided to go find them, they followed the advice and directions of South American fishermen, who had seen the whales poaching their fish.

After weeks of waiting, about 25 of the whales came up to the scientist’s boat, looking like they expected to be fed. Equipment problems prevented the scientists from recording enough of the whale songs, but they used a crossbow to get a tissue sample. Pitman said the whales are so big and their skin so tough that it didn’t hurt them, saying the arrow “is like a soda straw bouncing off a truck tire.”

Pitman said he’ll never forget Jan. 21 when he finally saw his first and then a bunch of the type D orcas.

“For 14 years I was looking for these guys. I finally got to see them,” Pitman said.

He acknowledged that he did sound like the revenge-seeking captain in the classic novel “Moby-Dick.”

“I guess I know how Ahab felt, but for a good reason,” Pitman said.

__

Follow Seth Borenstein on Twitter: @borenbears .

___

The Associated Press Health & Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

ShopABot Covert Commissions Monthly ProAutomatically monetize every new lead with our done for you, fully hosted and managed email subscription service. We'll create campaigns and send on your behalf day in, day out - earning you 100% handsfree affiliate income from every subscriber who joins

iPocketRocketLearn the 5 secrets to Hollywood quality video production from film director Eric Larson. With nothing more than your smartphone, you will be able to make professional films in no time at all.

=

=

Recommended

Lead2List Elite MonthlyLeads2list captures leads from Facebook as per the niche you have set in. These leads are sought in a perfectly legit manner and rest assured the process is 100% GDPR complaint.
Once the leads have been harvested Leads2list then feeds them straight into

Channel Authority Builder 2 AGENCY YearlyChannel Authority Builder Agency is a tool that lets you make big profits without creating a single channel on YouTube. With this, you can hijack the credibility of top YouTube channels in any niche and also monitor yours as well as your competitors ranki

ClickKosh 10 Domain GraphySuiteWith GraphySuite now you can create professional Graphics and Videos without any technical knowledge by just using Power Point. GraphySuite has premium Done For You templates of Videos and Graphics of all types/Sizes for Social Media Platforms, Google Ads,

TigerPress Volume 8 Theme ClubGet all Tigerpress themes added each month, including the HTML versions and white label functionality, members also receive FREE updates and support, and also receive access to SaaS bonuses added monthly for one low price.

SpyCom - MultiSpyCom is the worlds most powerful cloud based AliExpress market research, keyword research and niche research app that also lets you create FB Ad Images in a click and add the products from AliExpress to your Shopify stores in a click.

VidRankXpress ResellerA Revolutionary 1-Click Software Turns ANY Video into Endless Traffic Machine That Gets Page 1 Ranking on YouTube and Google and Drives Tons of Traffic from TOP Social Giants on 100% Autopilot.

SociBot PLATINUM 'PRO'SociBot is an all in one Facebook traffic and commission getting software that will help you to grow your business on autopilot, even whilst your asleep!

PowerPoint Speak EasiesPowerPoint Speak Easies are a collection of 26 different animated characters that make your videos speak to your viewers. Just add audio and a Speak Easies character to create cool videos.
Speak Easies can be used to make all sorts of videos, such as exp

Green Screen AcademyThe 3-in-one Green Screen Suite that gives you all the tools to transform your videos, adding a touch of class to your video production.

Cryptomatic360 [Front End]AnnualFinally, You Too Can Get Your Hands On The Secret Weapon For Turning $300 into $78,000 in less than 60 days In The Bitcoin And Other Cryptocurrencies Market.... Even If you Have Never Bought Or Traded In Any Cryptocurrency Before

Email Ramp - 999 DFY EmailsEmailRamp is a done-for-you email marketing bundle that covers 999 pre-written emails in 9 different niche. You will get a variety of use cases such as product launch, pre-sell, webinar registration, re-engagement emails and more.

Social Share Suite (Developer License)Are you struggling to create high-quality and rich-content website? With this brand new WP theme, now you can build rich-content website without creating any single of content... Build viral niche sites, drive free traffic, build list, and make money on c